Imagine Phoenix & Apollo
by xIrelandx
Summary: UPDATE: Formatting issues fixed! / You know that tumblr, imagineyourotp? Yeah, well, these are the Phoenix/Apollo related drabbles I've gotten out of those prompts.
1. Chapter 1

_Prompt: Imagine your OTP cuddling for warmth under a thick duvet during winter because the heater/radiator in their bedroom broke and it's freezing cold._

* * *

If he has to remind Phoenix to pay the heating bill one more time, he might just kill the bastard.

It's winter now, and even in California that means some unbearably cold nights. Apollo doesn't mean to stay over - he never does - but even if he hadn't that wouldn't change the fact that the damn heating is out.

Apollo purposefully kicks Phoenix (and it is Phoenix now, not Mr. Wright, because work is over and Apollo is pissed) as he crawls into bed next to him. Phoenix grunts and shivers underneath the covers, but he doesn't push Apollo out. This isn't the first time this has happened, which is part of what makes this so ridiculous.

"If I didn't know any better," Apollo hisses, "I'd think you were doing this on purpose." Every time in the past month that Apollo found himself staying over, he started out on the couch opposite this weird hideaway bed, and had to move. He'd been timid at first, avoiding the possibility as much as he could, until it became too cold to bear. Now the pretence was more a formality.

"N' what if I was?" Phoenix asks. Apollo shivers, scooting closer. Phoenix holds up the duvet a bit, allowing Apollo to get close enough for some body heat exhange.

Apollo shakes his head. His arms are crossed against his chest, and his knees are pretty damn close to meeting his elbow. "You'd never let Trucy get this cold."

"Trucy's got a lil' space heater in her room," Phoenix smirks. "But thanks for the vote of confidence." Apollo considers hitting Phoenix with a pillow before deciding, however worth it the reaction might be, that he wasn't going to risk the exposure to the cold, dead air of the apartment.

They're quiet for a few moments, Apollo trying to quiet his mind and keep his body from shivering too much. "'Pollo, why do you keep staying over if you know I haven't paid the heating bill?"

Apollo actually does stop shivering. He can feel heat rising in his body, but not in a good way. He's thankful that it's so dark - it's bad enough he doesn't have a good answer to that question. He really doesn't want to give Phoenix the satisfaction of seeing him blush and squirm. "It's not like I do this for fun, you know," he grumbles. He sees Phoenix's eyes narrow and flicker over his body, and he sighs. Not too dark for that, apparently. "Can you not question me on the locks right now?"

"Why not? It'll take your mind off the cold."

"I think I'd rather shoot myself in the face." He feels Phoenix tense beside him, and curses his poor word choice. He has a habit of this, of accidentally alarming people. "I didn't mean that literally," he sighs. And what a habit that noise is becoming for him.

"What is it that you can't talk to me about?" His voice is gentle and full of concern. He knows the magatama can tell when he's lying, but he doesn't think that power extends to showing anxiety. Apollo wonders how much he's shaking, how Phoenix has gotten the impression that he's nervous.

"You don't want to know," Apollo says. Phoenix shifts closer, and his heart starts beating in your throat.

"I know you think that," he says. "But how bad can it be?" Apollo's holding his breath. He knows that this is headed somewhere he won't particularly like. Either he's about to spit it out, or - "We're already sharing a bed, you might as well come clean about everything else."

There. That's it. Exactly what he was afraid of. Phoenix wasn't so much concerned as he was full of his own anxiety. And for good reason, if he had any idea that this is how Apollo would react.

"God damn it!" Apollo hisses. He drives his heel into one of Phoenix's calves in anger. "You already why!"

"Apollo -"

"Are you going through my things again? Jesus -" Apollo is squirming, flailing, trying to decide between vacating the bed and the premises and his job when he feels a warm hand clamp down on his waist. He's blushing so furiously that his face might actually match that suit jacket on the couch he never wears.

"Kristoph might've said something." There was a pause. "Or maybe it was Klavier. Sometimes I get them confused."

"How could you possibly confuse the two of them?"

"They look alike."

Apollo groans and covers his face with his hands. He's not even sure how he hasn't died of embarrassment yet. "Well, Kristoph is currently in prison for murder, and he has no emotions. Klavier is - well, in Ema's words, a 'glimmerous fop'."

"Klavier's the one who's got a thing for you, right?" Phoenix is trying to pass it off as amusement, but Apollo's bracelet is pinching pretty tightly.

"Yeah," he says slowly. "He keeps trying to ask me out, whenever he fails with Ema. Maybe I should say yes next time…" Phoenix has to know Apollo's just doing it for the reaction, but his bracelet is threatening to cut off circulation to his hand.

"If that's what you want," Phoenix says, shifting away. Apollo makes a bold move, putting a hand on Phoenix's hip.

"Nah," he says. "Klavier's not really my type."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Apollo's smirking now, feeling pretty confident. "He's too blond, for one… And he's a_prosecutor_."

Phoenix laughs softly, and the volume alone reminds Apollo that they have Trucy asleep in the room next to them. Trucy, who's never said a word about their sleeping arrangement on any of the occasions Apollo has stayed over.

Hmm.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Phoenix cuts through.

Apollo shakes his head. "No, but one of us has got to stay unfettered."

He can almost feel the uncomfortable tension the other man is putting off. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Apollo rolls his eyes. "Athena and Blackquill, you and Edgeworth -"

"How do you know about that?" Phoenix shouts.

Apollo shushes him, smirking. "Come on, Mr. Wright," he says playfully. "Everybody knows about that. It wasn't so much a question of 'did it happen' as 'why did it stop?'"

Phoenix is quiet for a few moments, trying to compose an answer. Apollo wonders if he's overstepped the boundaries between banter and offence.

"Well," Phoenix says, finally, "He went abroad, and I met somebody else."

"Really?" How ridiculous. He's twenty-three and he still sounds like a gradeschooler with a crush.

It doesn't matter though. Phoenix closes the gap between them, pulling Apollo fulling against his chest. His whole arm encompasses Apollo's waist, and Apollo finds that he's finally starting to warm up.

"Yeah," Phoenix says. "Really."


	2. Chapter 2

This was probably not the most awkward thing Apollo had ever done, but it was the most awkward thing he'd done _this week_. And that was saying something.

* * *

Why he'd even agreed to -

Oh wait, that's right. _He_ didn't agree to anything. Phoenix did, and he just had to go along with it. And even if Phoenix didn't agree - well, this was Athena they were talking about. No one really had a choice in the matter.

He suspected Simon was in the same boat.

Simon - ugh. It felt so weird to call him that, and it felt so weird to hear him called that. Sure, he and Athena had been friends for ages, so it shouldn't have been weird. It was just that Simon was the kind of guy whose last name fit him better than his first. Blackquill: dark, mysterious, dangerous. Simon: a dorky tattle-tale with perpetually broken glasses Apollo once punched in the fourth grade.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. This was _not_ going to go well.

"So Apollo," Athena started, hands fluttering dramatically. "I hear you've got a new case you're taking on. Care to tell?"

Apollo blinked rapidly, confused. He must have missed something. "Athena, we work together. You already know about the case."

"Well, maybe Simon doesn't."

"Actually, Athena," Blackquill begins smoothly. "Justice-dono and I will be facing off in court over this case," he smiles wickedly. "So perhaps it is best that we do not speak of it."

Athena claps her hands to her cheek in surprise. "Oh! Gosh! I forgot about that!"

Apollo wants this double-date to be over with already. He's awkward enough when it's just him and Nick alone, but now there's even less privacy. It's not necessarily uncomfortable - he trusts Athena fully now, and he genuinely thinks Blackquill's a good guy, it's just…

Him. It's like there's too much going on at once and he just can't concentrate. He's thankful, not for the first time, that he doesn't have Athena's ability. He frankly doesn't know how she manages to get through the day without having a total breakdown.

"You okay?" Apollo looked up to the man beside him, not realizing that he'd zoned out for a while.

"Huh? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

Phoenix narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me. What's wrong?"

Apollo sighed, shifting uncomfortably on the bench that served as booth seating. They'd tried to go for casual, and so were 'hanging out' (as Athena so maturely put it) at a pub. Athena and Blackquill were no longer seated across from them - they must have gone to order food or more drinks.

Alcohol. Huh. That sounded like a good idea.

"Apollo?"

"Yeah, sorry, uh…" Apollo sighed, looking away. "This just feels so weird. I've never really done this before."

"What, a double-date?" Apollo nodded, playing with the condensation on the glass of water before him. Phoenix sighed, relaxing beside him. "Yeah, me neither."

"Really?" Apollo looked back up at his…boyfriend?

Phoenix smirked "Do I really strike you as a smooth operator? I haven't been on that many dates period, let alone double ones."

Apollo felt relief wash over him. "Oh, good," he mumbled; then louder, "This is my first date. Ever. With anybody."

"What? Really?"

Apollo shrugged. "Yeah. Clay and I, we just…" he swallowed down the sadness he felt rising up in him. "I don't know. We'd hang out, we were always together, but we never really had a label for it. We never did anything particularly special, we were just…together."

Apollo was looking down in embarrassment. If he hadn't been, he might've missed it - Phoenix grabbing his hand, slipping his own fingers through the spaces between Apollo's, rubbing the back of Apollo's hand softly wit his thumb. Apollo was too wrapped up in emotions and memories coming back to him that he almost missed Phoenix's next question. "So I'm… your first relationship?"

"Is that what we are?" Apollo blurted before he could stop himself. It was a question he'd always wondered about: when did something cross the line from dating into something more?

"Uhm… yeah?" Phoenix said. Apollo's bracelet started to pinch, just a bit. "Unless -"

"No!" Apollo shouted, over-excited. "It's not that, I'm just," he blushed fantastically. "I never know…when things…change." _Wow, I am so lame._

"Wow," Phoenix said, shaking his head. "You are so cute."

"Wh - What?"

"And you really are, aren't you? One of those guys who doesn't know how attractive he is?" Phoenix shook his head. "I feel so special."

He sounded genuine enough, but this was Mr. Wright. "There's no need to be sarcastic, Nick," Apollo grumbled.

Phoenix looked taken aback, and a little hurt. "What makes you think I'm being sarcastic?"

"Because that's your usual MO."

Phoenix smiled. "You really don't get it? I guess you weren't there to hear Juniper fawning all over you in court."

"What?" Apollo blinked. "She - What?"

"And Klavier," Phoenix rolled his eyes. "I thought he was being obvious. He's only been flirting with you since the two of you met -"

"I thought he was just joking." Apollo felt lightheaded. What alternate universe had he fallen into?

Phoenix shook his head again, even more amused. "Honestly, I don't even know how you want anything to do with me."

Apollo snorted. "You're kidding, right? Phoenix, when was the last time you looked into a mirror?"

"It's been awhile," he said cheerfully. "But that's hardly the point -"

"Objection!" Apollo shouted. And a little too loudly - the bar went oddly quiet for a moment, quite a few of its patrons staring at Apollo. He kept eye contact with Phoenix so he wouldn't notice and feel as awkward. "_You_ have no idea how attractive _you_ are."

Phoenix shrugged. "I guess I'm okay, for an older guy -"

"Ugh," Athena announced her return to the table. "The two of you bicker like an old married couple. You're both attractive - can we just end it there?"

Apollo flushed, causing Phoenix to snicker. "Uhm, Athena?" Apollo started. "What happened to Si-"

There was a pained squeal from the back of the bar. Athena covered her hands with her face. "Oh no, not again."

"Not again? What do you mean -" but it was too late for Apollo to finish his question - Athena had started off for the back of the room. Phoenix and Apollo followed, more than a little worried. For all they knew, this was some drunk picking a fight with Simon over his status as a recently freed inmate. The air was tense. Apollo was mentally preparing himself for a fight.

They walked in on the end of Simon giving a scrawny twenty-something a verbal lashing. "…and if ever again you touch another woman without her permission, my blade shall feast upon your blood." The kid was now legitimately sobbing, begging the prosecutor for his life.

Athena had her face hidden behind her hands, and Apollo could see her shaking - not from trauma or fear or sadness, but from pure embarrassment. Apollo should have felt guiltier about the sudden kick of schadenfreude he was experiencing.

Of course, whether they deserve it or not, you can't very well go around threatening the life of paying customers. They were asked to leave the


	3. Chapter 3

_Prompt: Imagine your OTP having an argument. One of them accuses the other of lying about something. Their argument grows too heated, causing one to just storm out of the room, leaving the other to scream at the closed door before sinking to the floor in tears._

I sort of messed up on this one whoops.

* * *

Of course in the aftermath, Apollo knew he'd over-reacted. Wright and Edgeworth were old friends, and he could never take Edgeworth's place. He shouldn't want to. And because he believed nothing was ever truly one-sided, he knew it had to be Nick's fault too. Just a little bit. Somewhere in there.

He couldn't even remember where the argument had started, or why. Apollo just knew he felt a growing irritation that would not be calmed, no matter how hard he tried to stifle the anger he felt. It was a hard-to-place emotion, but not because he hadn't felt it before. He had, so often, but it had been a while and he still didn't want to put a name to it.

Rejection. Being ignored. _Dammit_. Apollo kicked at the quickly-flooding pavement, and sent a rock on a collision course with a car. It was property damage, something he could get in trouble for, but he didn't care. He smiled at the _thwack_ sound the impact made.

_Maybe I just won't come home,_ he thought spitefully. Then he had to stop himself and remember that he didn't have a home, and never did. He didn't even have a family, and he never would.

Which was why that argument seemed so important at the time.

_"Were you and Edgeworth, uh, together?"_

_"For a while, yeah." A casual shrug. "It didn't work out. Obviously."_

And Apollo promised himself that would be the end of it. He wasn't going to press it any further. What happened in the past was now part of the past for a reason. Phoenix was with _him_ now, end of story.

But then that damn trial happened.

Apollo slammed his hand down into the fence of the park, cursing his own stupidity. He couldn't even decide which part of himself had been the dumbest. Was it the part that started the argument? The part that kept pressing and wouldn't let go? Or the part that let him fall in love, let him believe he was special?

What a dumb argument to have. What a dumb fight to start. Apollo wanted to run back and apologize, hope that Phoenix wasn't too angry and that maybe they could just forget this whole thing had ever happened.

But then…there was that part of him that knew he was right. On some level, Nick was lying to him. And he couldn't go back and apologize, couldn't forget so easily when there was still a risk of him bumbling into something worse.

_"You're sleeping with Edgeworth, aren't you?"_

_"What? Apollo, no, where's this even coming from?"_

He felt miserable, and it didn't help that he was now soaked and freezing cold thanks to the damn-near hurricane he'd run out into. It wasn't his brightest idea, but the other option was staying and continuing the fight until Nick broke and told the awful truth –

No. Apollo couldn't let himself think of that. Not now, not ever. Maybe there was a way to erase his memory, forget the past year and a half had ever happened. Maybe even further back – forget he ever wanted to be a lawyer. Forget Athena and Trucy and Phoenix and Clay. He'd seen it in a movie once, going back to delete all your memories of one person, and pull apart all the other strings with which they intertwine.

_"Don't lie to me."_

_"I'm not lying to you, Apollo."_

_"Then why does my arm hurt so much? Why is my bracelet cutting off circulation to my hand if you're telling me the truth?"_

_"…"_

Apollo held onto the rails of the fence, and kicked the bottom of it, hard. He couldn't tell if he wanted to be numb, or to be in extreme pain. He'd gotten like this before, as a teenager, but moody adolescents were supposed to act this way. Not twenty-three year-old defence lawyers.

He closed his eyes and tried to clear his head. He had to think about the facts, try to straighten up his own mind.

Edgeworth was back.

_"What am I supposed to think, Nick? He abandons you for eight years, and now he's back and it's like nothing's changed between you two. How do you explain that?"_

_"…I don't know, Apollo."_

Apollo's grip on the bars tightened. He wanted to ram his head into the metal and forget this whole nightmare. But he knew his own head well enough. It wouldn't leave him alone until he'd come to a conclusion, until he'd had all the facts in order. He wanted the truth.

This was why he'd had to take a leave of absence. He couldn't trust Athena fully, but he knew, or at least thought, he could trust Nick. If anyone could dispel his doubts and worries, it was Phoenix Wright. And dispel them he did.

So why was it that now, he couldn't trust a word the man said?

"The bracelet says he's lying," Apollo said to himself. And it had been going off every time he, Phoenix and Edgeworth were in the same room together. That was a fact he could not avoid, no matter how much he wanted to.

_"Where are you going, Apollo?"_

_"I don't know. Somewhere else. Anywhere else."_

Apollo's grip on the bars loosened, losing his train of thought as a particularly cold drop of rain splashed on his neck. Maybe if he stayed out here long enough, he'd catch hypothermia and die. There had to be something to look forward to, now that he'd managed to fuck up his life spectacularly.

Apollo sighed, rubbing at his eyes. He hadn't cried like a normal person might've, only stormed out and tried to get as far away as quickly as possible.

He stuck his hands in his pockets and entered the park to find a bench. Then at least, when the police found his dead body, they'd know he was somewhat comfortable when he died. There was no point in going back to his apartment when everyone had the address.

He snorted at himself. "Yeah, because anybody's going to come looking for me. Nobody cares, Apollo."

He covered his face with his hands and let out an aggravated groan, trying to think of options available for a next step. He'd been having a terrible couple of months, what with Clay's murder and Fulbright's betrayal and the doubt he'd had in Athena. And then there was this – just icing on the cake. Salt in the wounds. Sand in the damn hourglass.

_"Please don't go."_

_"Why? It's not like you need me, now that Edgeworth's back."_

_"Apollo!"_

_"I'm sorry Nick, I just… I know he's your best friend, and that he's your first love. I can't compete with that."_

_"Polly –"_

_"I can't. I can't be your alternative. Don't make me stay and watch it happen, Nick. I just can't stand to be your second choice."_

_"You're not my second fucking choice, Apollo! I love you."_

Apollo shook his head. How long was his mind going to torture him by replaying this scene? He wished that now, more than ever, Clay was there to help him through this. He tried to think of things Clay would say, but only heard his own voice echoing in his head.

Apollo sighed. "I didn't have any right to get angry. I left. I walked out on them. Our relationship was probably over anyway." He leaned his head back, slouching enough on the bench that his neck hit the top part. He wondered how long he'd have to sit there with his mouth open before water filled up his lungs and he drowned.

Too long. That was the answer. It would take too long. He was feeling hopeless and helpless and miserable and he had to do something now.

Maybe some dumbass would be speeding down the road. He could run in front of their car, let it hit him. Or he could find a train to lay down in front of.

Maybe Ted Tonate had another bomb for him.

Just as he'd risen to leave the park, he heard someone call his name. He turned to look over his shoulder and saw Athena standing there, one hand on her hip and the other holding an umbrella. "I've been looking everywhere for you," she said. She gestured for Apollo to come and stand under the umbrella, but the only movement he made was to turn and face her fully.

"Come on," she chirped. "We gotta get back to the agency."

Apollo shook his head. "No, you go on ahead. I'll –"

"Keep running away?" Apollo looked down at his shoes, and missed Athena coming forward to grab his wrist. "It wasn't a suggestion, Apollo. We're going back to the office."

Apollo tried to shake his hand free of Athena's grip, but it was to no avail. "Quit it, Athena. Nothing's wrong. I'm fine, okay? I'm just, I'm not feeling all that well, so I don't think I'll be back in today."

Athena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay, don't try that on me. You and Mr. Wright have some things you need to discuss."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The hell you don't," Athena snapped. Apollo paused in his wriggling. This was how she normally looked when something really infuriated her. "When I got to the office, he was on the floor _crying_, Apollo. I don't know what you said to him, but it hurt. A lot." Apollo blinked, but wouldn't give in. Athena sighed. "Trucy said she heard the two of you fighting, and then you left."

Apollo felt slightly sick. "I didn't realize Trucy was there." He licked his lips. "Does she – did she tell you what you were arguing about?"

Athena didn't answer. "If you don't want to talk to Mr. Wright about it, Can you at least talk to me about it? He's not the only one worried about you, Apollo."

Apollo chewed on his lower lip, trying to make a decision. "It's… it's a bit complicated, really. There's some context you'd really need in order to really get it –"

"You mean about you and Mr. Wright dating?"

Apollo was shocked. "How did you know about that?"

Athena shrugged. "Everybody knows, Apollo. We've just been pretending like we don't, waiting to see how long it would take for the two of you to catch on."

_"Okay, Apollo, what's wrong?"_

_"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine. Everything's fine."_

_"You're lying, Apollo."_

_"It's nothing to worry about, Nick."_

_"…It's about Miles, isn't it?"_

"Okay," Apollo said. "I'm just…not really sure where to begin." Athena was rubbing little circles on his wrist, trying to be comforting. "I thought…think he was cheating on me with Prosecutor Edgeworth."

_"He's been around here an awful lot."_

_"So has Klavier Gavin, but I don't ask what you two get up to when I'm not around."_

_"Because you know you have nothing to worry about. I was never in love with Klavier Gavin."_

_"Apollo –"_

"Really? That doesn't seem his type."

Apollo shook his head. "They used to be together. And when Edgeworth came back…"

"You felt ignored."

"Yeah."

_"I love you."_

_"Jesus – No you don't, Nick. Stop lying to me!"_

Apollo's sudden movements startled Athena, and she let go. Apollo took off running. "Apollo! Where the hell are you going?"

Apollo stopped, and turned back to her, not sure what to say. The truth, the revelation he'd just come to, was that he didn't know how to be loved. He didn't know how to work within a family. He'd been tossed around a bit, and he was used to feeling used. Athena was correct to say that he was running away, but he doubted she knew what it was he was running from.

"I've never had a family, Athena," he said quietly.

Athena had caught up to him while he was locked in his reverie. She held his hand, looking at him with big, sad eyes. "So you… you've never learned how to communicate properly, have you?" Apollo was confused. "The way you communicate with your parents or parental figures – that tends to affect how you interact with others."

"Your mom…"

Athena nodded. "I felt like she ignored me, like she used me. So I decided to make sure no one else felt that way." Athena adjusted the umbrella so that it was saving both of them from the rain. "Let's go back, Apollo. Please."

Apollo swallowed, and let Athena lead him. There were so many parts of his body and heart and mind telling him to run. There was no way that this was going to end well, so why bother trying? Apollo didn't have a definitive answer for himself. Maybe he just secretly liked the emotional torture.

When they arrived back at the office, it was to an expectant Trucy in the doorway. She'd managed to move her father to the farthest couch, and though he appeared to have stopped crying he still looked a mess. Trucy slapped Apollo upside the head, clearly ready to go off on him before deciding better. Instead, she stormed off to her room, slamming the door.

"Mr. Wright," Athena called. "I'm back. With Apollo."

Phoenix moved his head up enough so that his eyes were visible above his fingertips. His eyes were bloodshot, his cheeks red and puffy. As soon as he and Apollo made eye contact, his eyes shifted once again to the floor.

Athena ushered Apollo toward the opposing couch and sat, cross-legged, next to him. She angled her body as horizontally as possible, to better be able to observe both of them.

Apollo wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. He didn't know where to begin – an explanation? An expletive? Thankfully, he didn't have to decide – Phoenix spoke first.

"I'm sorry for lying to you."

Well, that wasn't what Apollo had been expecting. His stomach suddenly disappeared, and suddenly he felt freezing cold. Athena was next to him, shaking, and it occurred to him that she was probably overwhelmed by the amount of emotions. He wanted to tell her to go get some fresh air, to make sure she didn't over-exert herself… But he was feeling selfish. He didn't know if he could take this conversation alone.

"I am not, and was not, sleeping with Edgeworth. That much is true. But I wasn't telling you the entire truth."

"What –" his voice cracked, but Apollo couldn't afford to feel more embarrassed now. He still wouldn't look up at the other man, hands focused on his twiddling fingers. "What is the entire truth?"

"I do still have feelings for him." Apollo felt ears escape his eyes as his lids closed down. He hadn't really felt this sort of thing before. He'd been sad before, but this was – this was heartbreak. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it. He shouldn't have come back. He didn't need to hear this – "But not in the way you think."

Apollo let his eyes fly open, trying to understand what this meant. "What kind of feelings, then?"

"Frustration. Anger." Phoenix sighed, and he sounded older than he really was. "You were right, in that he was my first love. For a while after we broke up, I wanted to get back together with him. And that's all I felt: hurt."

"So why did you break up?"

"He thought I was an idiot." Apollo looked up at that, inquisitive. Phoenix was smiling to himself, but…in an off-kilter way. The way someone might remember something that had been funny, but no longer way. "He's always thought that of me. I'm too emotional for his tastes, and he doesn't approve of half the things I do. That's why we didn't work out, why we don't. And a year or so after we broke up, after I lost my badge, I started to get angry with him. Because he could have helped me, he could have done something, and he didn't. We still kept in contact, sending occasional letters and the like, for a while – most of which were stunted and one-sided. I couldn't take the false niceties anymore, and I broke off all contact with him. When I met you, I hadn't spoken to him or seen him at all in over a year. I didn't even really think of him all that often. I was trying to move on with my life."

Apollo nodded, not sure what to say. He opened his mouth and closed it a couple times, before settling on, "So if that's what you're still feeling, why didn't you just tell me?"

Phoenix grimaced. "Because that's not the entire story." He sighed again, and the sound alone made Apollo's heart sink further. "He asked me to help him in freeing Blackquill. I was more than happy to work on a defence for an innocent man, but as you can probably imagine, I was peeved. We hadn't had a decent, civil conversation in a very long time. I don't ever remember him putting for the same amount of effort to help me. Why come to me now, after all these years? Why wait until Blackquill's execution date was approaching to reach out to me? I felt I was being played with."

"So why didn't you just say no?" It came out so much more bitter than Apollo had intended, but he bit back the apology that rose almost naturally to his mouth.

"I had an ulterior motive. I was so angry with him for everything that I just…. I wanted to show him that he was wrong about me. That I wasn't useless, I wasn't finished, I wasn't too emotional or a loser or whatever else he said and thought about me. I wanted to show him that I'd moved on with my life, and that he couldn't hurt me anymore. That I was…" his cheeks flushed. "I wanted to show him that I could do better than him. I was going to come out about being with you. It's immature, I know, but I wanted to shove it in his face."

It was immature, but Apollo still felt a little bit better about himself. He couldn't help the smirk, even as he admonished his…whatever. "That just makes it sound like you were using me."

Phoenix shook his head. "I had no idea he'd come back. We'd been together for a couple months when he got back into contact with me. And I'd…" he looked back down at his shoes. "I'd already fallen for you, long before that." He was so quiet, Apollo could barely hear him. "I wasn't lying when I told you I loved you. I shouldn't have said it when we were arguing, because that just makes it seem like a ploy to get out of trouble. But I do, and I should have told you so much sooner."

Apollo was blushing, his heart aflutter. He couldn't stop the tears his eyes occasionally let slip by, but he was still determined not to look at Nick. He looked instead to Athena, with her Mood Matrix out. She nodded at him, as if to say, _he's not lying_.

"So…" Apollo cleared his throat. "What happened? It feels like there's something more."

Phoenix sighed again, and covered his eyes. "He's been so smug lately. I don't know if you can tell the difference, but… He cornered me, outside of the courtroom. Have you ever had an experience with a person – an experience so negative, that each time you see them afterward, you freeze up?"

Apollo let his eyes close, trying to think. "I'm sure I have, but nothing's coming to mind. Is that… is that why you've been acting so weird since he got here?"

"Partly, yes. He also –" Apollo looked up. Phoenix was still looking down at his shoes, eyes closed, trying to stay calm. But Apollo could still see him shaking slightly, crying, if only a little bit. "He told me he wanted to get back together. He'd thought that these years, refusing to speak to him…he'd thought they'd been an act. That I was just playing hard to get, or something. And he kissed me."

Apollo was waiting for the other metaphorical shoe to drop.

"I didn't kiss him back. At least, I don't think I did – I was pretty shocked. It didn't last for very long, because the judge called us back into court. That was… that was when we brought Fulbright in."

So Apollo wouldn't have been very far away. No wonder he'd been so jumpy since then. "I still don't get…why you didn't just tell me? When I was accusing you of – of cheating, why didn't you just tell me what really happened?"

"Because I was ashamed. I'd wanted to have the upper hand. I wanted to be stronger, I wanted to tell him to fuck off, and instead…" he gestured vaguely with his hands. "I was hoping that if I pretended like nothing ever happened, then things could go back to the way they used to be. With everything you'd been through, I didn't want to put you through any more. I figured that after this case, Edgeworth would just leave us alone. And I didn't want to lose you," he said sadly.

Apollo shook his head. "I wish you'd said something earlier. Now I just feel like such an asshole."

"Apollo – "

"No, please, let me finish." Apollo huffed. This was what he'd needed to get his mind in order for. "I've never had a family before. You and Trucy… you're the closest thing I have. And I thought that maybe, because I'd left and Edgeworth came back, that you didn't need me. That… that I was just filler. I didn't want to lose you, either. And despite how I've been acting, I…" He swallowed. "I love you, too."

"Apollo." He didn't realize that Phoenix had moved to sit in front of him, on the coffee table. Athena had left – how long ago, he wasn't sure. "You're not a filler, and we'd never replace you. You're not…replacing Edgeworth. You're not filling in the gaps he left behind in my heart, or whatever it is you think. That's not how it works. You're just…there. Because I want you to be, and for some reason, you're still around. I'm not sure how to explain it all so that it makes sense, but I need you to know this: I don't want Edgeworth to come back into my life like that. His presence is just something I have to live with, due to the nature of our work." Phoenix's hands moved to cover Apollo's, and he rested their foreheads together. "But I want to have you around, for as long as you'd like to be here."

A long time ago, back when Apollo had his first panic attack, he'd thought he was going into cardiac arrest. They'd calmed down a lot and stopped seeming so severe when he figured out what was really going on. Now, however… It was back, as violent as the first time, but he wasn't afraid or upset. This was the happiest he could remember being. "I think I'd always like to be here."

"Good." Apollo leaned forward to kiss him when they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Trucy and Athena stood side-by-side, their hands on their hips. It was scary, how similar they were. "We're going out," Athena announced. "And we'll be gone for a while."

"If you two haven't gotten your shit together by the time we get back," Trucy continued, "Then we're going to murder you and have Prosecutor Blackquill help us hide the bodies." Without another word, the two women turned on heel in comically choreographed fashion, and left the building.

"…So." Apollo said.

"Yeah," Phoenix smirked.

"Where do we go from here? I kind of fucked up pretty badly."

"So did."

"Does that mean our fuck-ups cancel each other out?"

Phoenix considered this for a moment. "Typically, when you get into a fight or argument during a relationship…it can ruin things. But it can also make them stronger, because you come to a better understanding about the person before you."

"So aside from the things we've learned, we pretend like this whole thing hasn't happened?"

Phoenix shrugged. "Basically. The other option is that we keep harping on it and-"

Apollo cut him off, pushing their lips together. He had a tight grasp on the front of Phoenix's shirt – when had he forgone the suit and vest? – and pulled him closer, until the other man was seated on the couch alongside him. Apollo felt giddy and needy. When was the last time they'd done this, properly or otherwise?

He was leaning over Phoenix, pressing into him as they kissed, when Phoenix scrunched his nose up. "You're all wet," he pointed out.

"Yes. I'm well aware of that," Apollo said, nipping his neck.

"You should probably get out of those clothes."

Apollo sighed. "Good god, first Athena and now you? What are you, my mother?"

"Apollo –"

"I'm surprised Trucy didn't say something."

"Apollo –"

"She really does enjoy bossing people around –"

"Polly!" Apollo finally quieted and looked back down Phoenix. "Take your clothes off."

"…Oh."

"Now."

"Yes!"

Stripping Apollo of his clothes took longer than it should have. He kept getting distracted by the taste of Phoenix's lips, the way it felt to run his fingers up the man's sides and untuck his shirt from his trousers, being so full of love and happiness that occasionally the words _I love you_ just sprung from his mouth. And that was okay, because they were coming from Phoenix's mouth too. Apollo was down to just his boxers and socks, but he didn't want to bother any longer. He just wanted to touch him, this man that he loved and who loved him in return. Because he couldn't think of a single thing which felt better.

Phoenix's shirt was unbuttoned and hanging off his shoulders when Apollo slithered back up his body, kissing his chest and neck on the way to his lips. Their coordination was messy, as could only be expected. Apollo was whimpering and keening, rutting against Phoenix's hip. He was panting when they broke off so that Phoenix could work a mark onto his neck, while Apollo worked at the other man's zip and button. Apollo had one hand running fingers through Phoenix's hair, Phoenix fingers just starting to slip below the elastic of his boxers when someone knocked at the door.

"You think whoever it is'll go away if we just ignore them?" Apollo asked.

They waited in silence, when the knocker accompanied their raps with a muffled call of, "Wright?"

"Oh Jesus fucking Christ," Phoenix hissed. This was not something they needed right now, because for all he knew this could just –

Apollo was laughing. He glowered at him for a moment, before realizing just how humorous the situation actually was. "Are you sure you're the one who should be laughing?" he sniggered. "If he decides to come in, you're in your boxers. And you've got a pretty obvious erection."

Apollo covered his face with both hands, gasping for air. He couldn't explain why it all felt so funny. It just did.

Phoenix shook his head and rolled his eyes. "You're weird," he said, kissing Polly on the head.

Edgeworth was, to say the least, startled. "Hey Edgey, what's up?"

"Oh. Hello… Wright." Phoenix felt a presence behind him, and a pair of arms snake around his waist. "…is that –"

"I believe you've met Apollo Justice," How Phoenix was managing to keep a straight face, Apollo didn't know. He might not have been able to see it, but he could tell it was there all the same. "My boyfriend?"

"I thought he was your associate," Miles commented. Nonchalant as he could manage, but still with a very tangible air of distaste. "Your employee."

"Partner," Phoenix corrected. He could feel Apollo start to tense, and he placed his hands over Apollo's where they rested on his stomach. He laced their fingers together. Apollo kissed his shoulder through his shirt.

"For how long?"

Nick squeezed Apollo's fingers reassuringly. _I'm not just doing this for show._ "We're coming up on one year, thank you."

"And you didn't think it fit to tell me because?"

Nick tilted his head innocently. "You hardly gave me a chance…besides, I was going to wait and tell everyone after the one year mark."

It was awkwardly quiet. Apollo almost wished he could see Edgeworth's face, to get some sort of gauge as to where the conversation might be heading, and how soon it might be over.

"So I don't suppose you –"

"I never had any intention of getting back together with you," he said softly. "I'm happy, Miles. Apollo makes me happy. And before you ask, the answer is yes. I do."

Edgeworth's swallow was audible. "It would appear I have missed my chance."

"Quite a while ago," Apollo said. He didn't mean for the thought to leave his mouth, and his hands tried to jerk back to cover it up. Phoenix didn't let them move though, squeezing them tightly.

"Well," Edgeworth said uncomfortably. "I'll let you get back to, er…"

"Fucking," Nick said tiredly. "We were trying to have sex, before you interrupted."

There was another funny pause before Miles concluded, "I'll be sure to call next time."

"Yeah, you do that."

Being alone again after Edgeworth closed the door for them should have been awkward. He was just the topic of a major upset, yet Apollo didn't feel that things were any stranger. Whatever doubts he'd had, whatever questions, Phoenix had managed to quell. Again.

"I love you," he said. Not full of reverence, because it was no longer a secret. It was fond, adoring even, and not that far off from exasperation.

Nick beamed back at him, hopeful disbelieving, and equally adoring. "I love you too," he said.


End file.
